PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS TO THE UNITED NATIONS New York Hon. Mr. John Silk Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of the Marshall Islands United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development Co-Presidents, Secretary-General, Excellencies, General Debate 6June 2017 check against delivery I have the honor to bring you the warm greetings ofyokwe on behalf of the people and Republic of the Marshall Islands. Speaking on behalf of a low-lying atoll nation, it is rightful that we are focusing this week on oceans and sustainable development. As a nation that is 99 percent ocean, we will not progress in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals without focusing on oceans and SDG 14. We face deep challenges - from the local - marine and coastal pollution - to the global - including ocean acidification and climate impacts. However, I have not traveled to New York only to demand stronger political will from others without providing our own commitment. The outcomes of our recent National Oceans Symposium, which we have brought to this conference, express our policy roadmap to achieve a sustainable future on all aspects of our fisheries, oceans and coasts. We will - and must act - but we cannot do it all alone. The legacy impacts of World War II and the Cold War, including shipwrecks, unexploded ordnances and nuclear contamination, pose a large challenge for the waters of Pacific islands region. The Marshall Islands also has the added burden of radioactive contamination remaining from the nuclear testing era - and those half-lives will persist for generations to come. We did not cause these events, and our capacity to address them is limited. The longer we wait - the worse the threat - and clear international action is needed. Co-Presidents, I strongly affinn all that has been said before, including statements from the leaders and Ministers of the Pacific islands region. And I do not wish to repeat their powerful words. I have something else to add.
Oceans are dynamic environments, and human-driven climate impacts to the oceans are seriously under-recognized at the United Nations. Without concerted and strong action on climate change - coming from each one of us in this hall - my nation - and indeed the entire world, and especially future generations, face a clear and present dander to development and security. Co-Chairs, The world is facing a grave crisis on climate change. We are proud that 194 States Parties, almost every nation in the world, still stand together as one. There is a saying in Marshallese - "Kajor Wot Wor" - which means the multitude matters. I wish to thank the non-unfccc Party actors, including the private sector, local governments and civil society, for their role in curbing emissions, as expressed in the Paris Agreement and outcome. On behalf of the Marshall Islands, I wish to thank the 194 States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, who have signed the Paris Agreement, and who continue to affirm it. It is our cultural custom to express gratitude, and I will thank each State Party individually, and in alphabetical order: AFGHANISTAN ALBANIA ALGERIA ANDORRA ANGOLA ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ARGENTINA ARMENIA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA AZERBAIJAN BAHAMAS BAHRAIN BANGLADESH BARBADOS BELARUS BELGIUM BELIZE BENIN BHUTAN PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA BOSNIAAND HERZEGOVINA BOTSWANA BRAZIL BRUNEI DARUSSALAM BULGARIA BURKINA FASO BURUNDI CABOVERDE
CAMBODIA CAMEROON CANADA CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CHAD CHILE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA COLOMBIA COMOROS CONGO COOK ISLANDS COSTARICA COTE D'IVOIRE CROATIA CUBA CYPRUS CZECH REPUBLIC DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO DENMARK DJIBOUTI DOMINICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR EGYPT ELSALVADOR EQUATORIAL GUINEA ERITREA ESTONIA ETHIOPIA EUROPEAN UNION FIJI FINLAND FRANCE GABON GAMBIA GEORGIA GERMANY GHANA GREECE GRENADA GUATEMALA GUINEA GUINEA-BISSAU GUYANA HAITI HONDURAS HUNGARY ICELAND
INDIA INDONESIA ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN IRAQ IRELAND ISRAEL ITALY JAMAICA JAPAN JORDAN KAZAKHASTAN KENYA KIRIBATI KUWAIT KYRGYZSTAN LAO PEOPLE s DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC LATVIA LEBANON LESOTHO LIBERIA LIBYA LIECHTENSTEIN LITHUANIA LUXEMBOURG MADAGASCAR MALAWI MALAYSIA MALDIVES MALI MALTA MARSHALL ISLANDS MAURITANIA MAURITIUS MEXICO FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA MONACO MONGOLIA MONTENEGRO MOROCCO MOZAMBIQUE MYANMAR NAMIBIA NAURU NEPAL NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NIGER NIGERIA NIUE
NORWAY OMAN PAKISTAN PALAU PANAMA PAPUA NEW GUINEA PARAGUAY PERU PHILIPPINES POLAND PORTUGAL QATAR REPUBLIC OF KOREA REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA ROMANIA RUSSIAN FEDERATION RWANDA SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS SAINT LUCIA SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES SAMOA SANMARINO SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE SAUDI ARABIA SENEGAL SERBIA SEYCHELLES SIBRRA LEONE SINGAPORE SLOVAKIA SLOVENIA SOLOMON ISLANDS SOMALIA SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH SUDAN SPAIN SRI LANKA STATE OF PALESTINE SUDAN SURINAME SWAZILAND SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAJIKISTAN THAILAND THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA TIMOR-LESTE TOGO TONGA
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TUNISIA TURKEY TURKMENISTAN TUVALU UGANDA UK.RAINE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA URUGUAY UZBEKISTAN VANUATU BOLNARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA VIETNAM YEMEN ZAMBIA Zllv.IBABWE Co-Presidents, The United Nations is not our only common umbrella, but it remains a primary pathway to forge stronger connections between nations- and this is needed to integrate oceans into the wider sustainable development framework. The world's oceans are a truly common resource with no borders, and individual nations cannot stand divided or alone. If a small island nation like the Marshall Islands speaks loudly, it is because we realize the closest impacts. But as a union of nations we all must prove our aspirations with real political will. Our children and grand-children will judge us all on our actions, not our words. Thank you and kommol tata.